Your Privacy Ends At The Tavern Door

In Alberta,¹ a law has been proposed that places going to a bar on a different level of activity from other common activity as it will allow bar owners to collect, store and trade personal information about the folk who pop by for a beer. It is aimed at gang members but fails to notice that most people in taverns are not criminals:

...privacy advocates say the bill will likely do little to combat gang violence in bars. Frank Work, Alberta's privacy commissioner, said the legislation is more likely to create an ever-expanding list of "jerks and idiots" who are blacklisted from Alberta bars for poor decisions while intoxicated. Those who get a little too drunk and rowdy, vomit on the table or forget to pay their tab could find themselves blacklisted from multiple bars, with no way to clear their names. "Maybe he is on the list because he is a super bad guy, or maybe he's on the list because he becomes a wiener after having a couple of drinks," Mr. Work said.

So, if your name gets on this list and gets passed around that tight and principled circle of wizards called bar owners, how long before that list gets used for other purposes by people risk managing their decision making like insurers or maybe organizations which take on volunteers? And, if this is a system aimed at crime detection, it is subject to the same procedural rights other forms of investigation have to respect? Do they even have keep records proving or just explaining why you are on the list? And do the folks at the Dew Drop Inn on the south side of Main Street use the same standards for blacklisting that the Crazy Horse across the way does?

Wouldn't it make sense to also take names at, you know, bike repair shops if you are looking at the biker gangs? They likely buy coffee or have family who attend church so name taking at Tim's² or at the pew would be handy, too.

¹[Ed.: I don't often cross post but yesterday my two worlds overlapped for a brief shining moment.]²[Ed.: you aren't Canadian if you have to ask.]

Maureen Ogle said this about the book: "... immensely readable, sometimes slightly surreal rumination on beer in general and craft beer in particular. Funny, witty, but most important: Smart. The beer geeks will likely get all cranky about it, but Alan and Max are the masters of cranky..."

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This whacko idea would really drive pub owners in BC nutz. They are already half empty due to the economy and the cops. To be in a pub after 6:00 p.m. is taking your future in your hands. To drive home after 2 pints, it's like going through the KGB, SS, Taliban, and the Queen's Cowboys. Having a profile in a pub, even your favourite would just put the icing on the cake.They do have a Pub Watch or something in Vancouver, downtown, due to the gangs popping one another off, usually 1, sometimes 2 a night. These guys don't answer questions. The local cops and owners, along with employees can spot them a mile away. They are the ones with the Real bling hanging off them, the little tuft of hair(fuzz) under their lip, shaved heads and chests, the BMW, Lexus, Jag or some other imported contraption parked outside with 6000 dollar wheels, and 2500 dollar low profile tires, which all void their dealer warantees.(ha ha)If I were to visit Alberta, and someone wanted to know all about me, I am afraid I would have to tell them to get stuffed. George Orwell was right, I guess!

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I have moved the content of the OCB Commentary Wiki here. It is now a static document and pretty much is locked in as understandings existed as of 2012. Probably needs its own wiki to update the content! Below are the original introductory remarks:

"The purpose of this wiki is to collectively make comments, add annotation, identify errata and suggest further sources to the text of The Oxford Companion to Beer. Members are asked to avoid comment about the authors, the structure of the text or other extraneous matters. This wiki is a not for profit project that reviews the text pursuant to the concept of "fair dealing for the purpose of criticism or review" under Canadian copyright law." Alan McLeod, wiki Organizer, and chief bottle washer at A Good Beer Blog. Motto? "Many hands make pleasant work." Alan McLeod, 25 October 2011. Please provide some information about yourself when making a request to join the wiki. Anonymous requests for membership will not be approved. Overly ardent and rudely put claims to authority will be cause for removal from the membership. As of 11 January 2012, 134 entries or 12.2% of the total of 1,100 received commentary, many with multiple comments. Eight of the photos have been corrected as well. That number rose to 151 by 13 May 2012.